September is Suicide Awareness Month, and with coronavirus and global uncertainty on the rise, mental health is in the spotlight this year.
CHMA reached out to the Mental Health and Harms Reduction Educator for Mount A, Maggie Brewer, to discuss the mental health resources available for students this year.
Brewer has worked with Mount Allison since 2018, but has worked in the mental health field for 15 years.
She is pleased to share that the Wellness Centre adapted their services to function online or over the phone.
MB: So we have a ton of resources available, I think we have a ton of resources available, and we really want to get the word out there and educate students on what resources are available to them. I’m going to name a few highlighted resources, or some of the top ones I think students should be aware of. So counseling, counseling is free to all Mount Allison students. We have two wonderful full-time counselors who are offering virtual sessions by phone or by Zoom for healthcare. These sessions can be by appointment, or during virtual walk-in counseling hours. We also have myself, the mental health educator, who does wellness and self-care planning with students offered weekly by appointment. Again, this is free to all Mount Allison students. I really would like to take a moment to talk about Navigate MTA wellness support program. We have a great new initiative this year called Navigate MTA, and it’s a wellness support program that is student-to-student and the program’s goal is to take a proactive and collaborative approach to enhancing the knowledge of mental health and wellness supports available to students, and to promote help-seeking behavior among students by reducing obstacles to using resources and increasing awareness of wellness center services. So if anyone has any questions about the new initiative, Navigate MTA program, they can email navigatemta@mta.ca.
Brewer says that students should be aware of other resources, such as the Meighen Centre for Accessibility Services, Black Student Advisors, Indigenous Student Support, and First Generation Student Support.
For private and immediate help, Brewer recommends the CHIMO helpline.
MB: The CHIMO helpline is a provincial crisis phone line. It’s accessible 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to all residents of New Brunswick. CHIMO helpline can help you by providing a listening ear helpful information crisis intervention and referrals to resources in the province of New Brunswick. They’re confidential, non judgmental, and supportive. So CHIMO helpline is what I would really like to highlight. There’s also the Addiction and Mental Health Mobile Crisis Team, which is a group of trained mental health social workers who respond to people who are experiencing a mental health crisis and who require assessment or intervention. I actually called a number a couple weeks ago to confirm that they are providing services to the Sackville area and their hours of operation are Sunday to Sunday 12pm to 10pm.
MC: What, as a mental health professional, do you recommend students do to take care of their mental health?
MB: It is so important for students to take care of their mental health, especially with all the pressures and changes transitioning to university. I would recommend for students to be informed, to listen to this, to be aware of resources available to them and to utilize the services. When they, or a friend, first notice you know, a change in their mental health to reach out for help and to know what are those first steps. Whether that be to make a counseling appointment, to use the virtual walk-in hours, maybe you need to schedule a wellness planning session as a first step, and to be aware of those 24/7 support lines and online resources. I’d like to also shout out that we are big fans at Mount Allison University of Transitions by teenmentalhealth.org. It has a lot of great information on their website.
MC: Okay, if somebody came to you and asked how they can support their friend who is struggling with their mental health, what would you suggest to them?
MB: Thanks for asking that, Meg. I think that’s a really important question. It’s important to talk to the person if you’re concerned that they might be struggling with their mental health. So describe the changes you’ve noticed in them, and tell them why you’re worried. Say what you see. I would recommend checking out jack.org’s Be There basics. It will help you learn to recognize when someone might be struggling with their mental health, and it gives you five golden rules to help you support them and how to be there for them. You can find out further information again on their website at jack.org/bethere. I’d also like to mention that Mount Allison University has a great jack.org chapter, and you can email them at the jackproject@mta.ca.
MC: Should somebody require psychiatric help, are you able to accommodate that?
MB: So I’d like to go back to acknowledge as well that we do have a Student of Concern Case Team that supports students who may be struggling with their mental health. The team conveys to suggest strategies and supports for students when they need it most. So anyone who is concerned about a student can email studentsofconcern@mta.ca if someone is requiring psychiatric help, if you’re looking for immediate or after hours support, please contact the CHIMO helpline or the Mobile Mental Health Crisis Team. If you’re experiencing a crisis and need emergency help, please visit your local emergency department. The Wellness Center does have a psychiatrist available for clinics twice monthly, and these services will be virtual for the fall. Referrals can be made by the student’s family physician, a psychologist or the hospital.
Maggie Brewer can be reached by email at mbrewer@mta.ca.
Brewer provided a list of additional resources, which are available here:
• Campus WELL by Student Health 101 is an online health and wellness magazine designed for university students. Articles cover a range of topics, including recipes, fitness, sleep, and more.
• Transitions by Teen Mental Health.org is an online resource for students transitioning to postsecondary.
• Jack.org is a group of young leaders focusing on mental health and wellness.
• Wellness Together Canada: Mental Health and Substance Use Support helps you create a mental wellness plan.
• MindWell U – By signing up you have access to the 30-Day Mindfulness Challenge, the Mini MindWell Challenge, and the Studio BE programs.
• A guide to living with worry and anxiety amidst global uncertainty.
Descriptions provided by Maggie Brewer.
Also, the Mental Health Association of New Brunswick will offer Let’s TALK presentations through October and November, and two virtual workshops.
The CHIMO hotline can be reached at 1-800-667-5005.
The Addiction and Mental Health Mobile Crisis Team can be reached at 866-771-7760.
By M. Cunningham
